Java vs. JavaScript – Difference between Java and JavaScript

Java

JavaScript

Java was developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems.

JavaScript was developed by Brendan Eich at Netscape Communications Corporation.

Java is a true Object Oriented Programming Language as it requires everything to be a part of a Class and thereby, Objects.

JavaScript is also an Object Oriented Language but it is a Scripting language which makes it different from Java.

Java is usually used for standalone application software development as well as web applet development.

JavaScript is normally embedded into HTML code. It is primarily and only used for web development purposes.

Every single line of code in Java requires it to be inside a Class (thereafter Objects) which makes it a complete Class based programming language.

It is a kind of Object Oriented Paradigm in which Inheritance i.e., behavior reuse is performed via a process of cloning (duplicating) existing Objects that act as prototypes.

Java uses static typing. It is a process in which type checking is performed during compile-time. Hence, Java is said to be a statically typed programming language

JavaScript uses dynamic typing. It is a process in which type checking is performed during run-time. Hence, JavaScript is said to be a dynamic typed scripting language.

Java language can help us to create standalone application software that can be executed on the desktop environments such as on Windows, Mac, Linux. It can also help us to build Applets that can be embedded into HTML.

JavaScript cannot be used to create Applets or standalone applications. JavaScript resides inside HTML documents, and provides excellent interactivity features to web pages that are not achievable with HTML and CSS.

Java Applet runs on the web browsers, independent of the HTML or any other scripting language used to design that particular web page.

JavaScript is dependent upon the HTML code as it always has to be embedded into it. It can run only on web browsers.

Java programming language is a compiled language. Hence, it needs to be converted into a fresh machine code file on different operating system.

JavaScript doesn’t need to be compiled. All of its code is text based. Therefore, it supports almost all the platforms as it has to be executed within a web browser.

Once a Java Applet or a standalone application is developed after compilation, it cannot be modified. If you want to modify it, you will need to get it done by editing the source code and then re-compiling the complete file.

JavaScript code can be altered/modified as many times you want without the issue of compilation or interpretation. You just modify it and it will directly update the new code.

Java can be intimidating for a beginner as it needs a good understanding of OOP concepts and its vast. However, if pursued with interest, it can fetch you excellent results.

Understanding JavaScript is comparatively easier for a beginner to as its syntax is very easy and concise.